Method and system for administering remote area monitoring system

Abstract

A remote area monitoring system is configured to detect movement in a disallowed direction through a space. The system monitors two volumetric spaces that are established by the system, both of which spaces are defined with respect to depth, width and height. In one embodiment, the system includes one or more stereoscopic sensors for capturing image information of the space, a processor processing the image information to detect movement of humans or objects in a disallowed direction through the space, and an alarm indicator. The system may also include workstation configured to display and store the image information. The workstation may have multiple levels of access, such as basic user, supervisor and technician level access. The workstation may display a log of alarm or related events and permit selection of events and viewing of image information associated with the events.

1. A system for passively and unobtrusively detecting movement of people or objects through a passageway where detection of people or objects moving in a disallowed direction through the passageway is critical and a rapid response to a detected movement necessary comprising:
 a stereoscopic sensor sensing the person or object as it moves through the passageway in any direction and generating successive individual frames of three-dimensional imagery of the object; 
 a processor integrated with the sensor and processing the individual frames of imagery to distinguish the person or object from other people and objects simultaneously moving through the passageway regardless of the direction of movement of the people and objects; 
 an alarm indicator responsive to an input from the processor if the processor determines a person or object is moving through the passageway in the disallowed direction to promulgate an alarm whereby any people or objects moving in the disallowed direction are passively and unobtrusively detected and their movement reported; and 
 at least one workstation, said workstation including at least one display configured to display a graphical user interface and one or more of said individual frames of imagery generated by said stereoscopic sensor, said alarm indicator being incorporated in said workstation to provide an alarm indication using the display. 
 
     
     
       2. The system in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said workstation further comprises at least one digital video recorder configured to store one or more of said frames of imagery generated by said stereoscopic sensor. 
     
     
       3. The system in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said workstation further comprises a computing device, and wherein said computing device is configured to generate said graphical user interface. 
     
     
       4. The system in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said workstation is configured with at least a first level and a second level of access. 
     
     
       5. The system in accordance with  claim 4  wherein said workstation is configured to permit access to different information associated with said system depending upon said first level or second level of access. 
     
     
       6. The system in accordance with  claim 5  wherein a second level of access comprises a supervisor level of access and provides access to one or more of the following features not available via said first level of access: a supervisor log, full searching of stored frames of imagery, and system configuration settings. 
     
     
       7. The system in accordance with  claim 6  wherein said system configuration settings comprise a password change. 
     
     
       8. The system in accordance with  claim 6  wherein said supervisor log permits print and sort capability of entries in said log. 
     
     
       9. The system in accordance with  claim 1  wherein a configuration of said graphical user interface depends upon a level of access to said workstation. 
     
     
       10. The system in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said workstation is configured to display alarm information in response to said alarm indicator. 
     
     
       11. The system in accordance with  claim 1  wherein said workstation is configured to create an event and store one or more of said frames of imagery corresponding to each alarm indicator. 
     
     
       12. The system in accordance with  claim 11  wherein said workstation is configured to display a log of said events via said graphical user interface. 
     
     
       13. The system in accordance with  claim 12  wherein the types of events which are displayed as part of said log are determined by a level of user access to said workstation. 
     
     
       14. The system in accordance with  claim 12  wherein said workstation is configured to display the frames of imagery associated with an event which is selected from said log. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 1  in which a monitor is installed in the workstation for viewing the frames of imagery and the alarm indicator includes a bezel surrounding the monitor, the color of the bezel changing from one color to another when an alarm condition occurs.